1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to food warming tables, and more particularly to a drywell warming table for maintaining food at a temperature above 140° F.
2. Description of the Related Art
Restaurants often prepare various ingredients (e.g., sauces) in advance of assembling, the meal or food product in order to speed the preparation time for the meal Typically, such restaurants will prepare some cooked food and/or ingredients in advance and keep that food warm, for example, using a warming table.
One typical design for a warming table, a steam table, includes a steam bath. In such designs, steam is generated by heating an amount of water between the pans and heating table. The steam keeps the serving pans, and the food contained therein, warm.
Another typical design includes serving pans made of plastic and stainless steel. The pans are disposed within a drywell such that there is a sufficiently small air gap between the pans and the heating table. In such designs, the heating table is heated to a desired temperature and the food in the serving pans is heated primarily via conduction heat transfer through the stagnant air between the heating table and the serving pans.
Typically, as the level of food in the serving pans decreases, it is necessary to increase the amount of heat applied to the pans to keep the food within the desired serving temperature range. However, application of additional heat may lead to the boiling of the food when the pan is full, making it unsuitable for immediate consumption. Additionally, when less than 1 inch of food remains in the pan, the temperature of the food tends to decrease even when the amount of heat applied to the pans is increased, making the heating operation inefficient. The increased heat tends to escape through the surface of the pan not in contact with the food.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved drywell table to maintain food at a desired temperature for serving.